App State and Georgia Southern to join Sun Belt

[ASUMountaineer]

The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?

MTSU is in CUSA next year. With WKU also leaving, the SBC will look like this:

Football (9)
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Texas Sate
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Appalachian State

Non-football (2)
Arkansas-Little Rock
Texas-Arlington



So the SBC will be looking to add at least one more fb school, and probably 3 to have a title game.

Regardless, it's still a nice compact conference for one that resides in the FBS.

Agreed.

[93henfan]

I wish both scho....


I wish Georgia Southern the best!

DelMarVa douche!

I selfishly hope that this is all just maneuvering to eventually set up one helluva I-AA division once the elite 64 mega-BCS schools flip their middle fingers at all of us peons.

Can you imagine a I-AA with Marshall, ECU, Apps, GSoU, ODU, perhaps JMU, UD, Liberty? That's a lot of good football in a fairly compact area.

[TribeFanInNC]

I think the SoCon would do well with Coastal, Liberty, and maybe even stealing W&M as well.

W&M hasn't scheduled an FCS OOC game south of Virginia since Furman in 1999. I think it's safe to say the athletic department does not recognize football outside of the northeast.

[dbackjon]

The geography portion is the biggest issue for me - I can be in Atlanta in a couple of hours and Statesboro in just a little more. Aside from that it's a hike to get to Troy or MTSU at just over 5 hrs. by car. I know BSC fans are used to that, but it'll be a struggle to fill seats in N. Texas or God forbid Las Cruces. Does anyone besides UM make money in BSC football?

MTSU is in CUSA next year. With WKU also leaving, the SBC will look like this:

Football (9)
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Texas Sate
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Appalachian State

Non-football (2)
Arkansas-Little Rock
Texas-Arlington



So the SBC will be looking to add at least one more fb school, and probably 3 to have a title game.

Regardless, it's still a nice compact conference for one that resides in the FBS.

That really isn't that compact when you are the eastern outpost

[ASUMountaineer]

DelMarVa douche!

I selfishly hope that this is all just maneuvering to eventually set up one helluva I-AA division once the elite 64 mega-BCS schools flip their middle fingers at all of us peons.

Can you imagine a I-AA with Marshall, ECU, Apps, GSoU, ODU, perhaps JMU, UD, Liberty? That's a lot of good football in a fairly compact area.

That would be awesome!

[ASUMountaineer]

MTSU is in CUSA next year. With WKU also leaving, the SBC will look like this:

Football (9)
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Texas Sate
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Appalachian State

Non-football (2)
Arkansas-Little Rock
Texas-Arlington



So the SBC will be looking to add at least one more fb school, and probably 3 to have a title game.

Regardless, it's still a nice compact conference for one that resides in the FBS.

That really isn't that compact when you are the eastern outpost

I think the key to Trips post was the last part of that sentence. For an FBS conference...especially the way some are going, it's decently compact.

[AZGrizFan]

DelMarVa douche!

I selfishly hope that this is all just maneuvering to eventually set up one helluva I-AA division once the elite 64 mega-BCS schools flip their middle fingers at all of us peons.

Can you imagine a I-AA with Marshall, ECU, Apps, GSoU, ODU, perhaps JMU, UD, Liberty? That's a lot of good football in a fairly compact area.

We do the same thing here in the west dreaming about a mega-conference of UM, MSU, Wyoming, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise, Idaho & Air Force. Maybe we'd let in Weber too...

[∞∞∞]

I think the key to Trips post was the last part of that sentence. For an FBS conference...especially the way some are going, it's decently compact.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Of the 11 conferences, only the MAC is more regional than the SBC. I do like what ODU has in CUSA's east division though:


It gives us 5 teams in 5 states (ODU, Charlotte, MTSU, WKU, Marshall), with FIU and FAU being the outliers. Return those two back to the SBC and add Appy and JMU, and CUSA-East would be amazing for fans!

[Skjellyfetti]

That really isn't that compact when you are the eastern outpost

Well, the Sun Belt is going to try to get to 12, imo. That would (probably) create eastern and western divisions which would make most of the conference games even more compact.

Conference compactness is one thing I will miss about the SoCon. I remember a few years ago where we didn't leave the Carolina's for a whole regular season. That's tough to beat.

[Fresno St. Alum]

MTSU is in CUSA next year. With WKU also leaving, the SBC will look like this:

Football (9)
South Alabama
Troy
Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Texas Sate
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Appalachian State

Non-football (2)
Arkansas-Little Rock
Texas-Arlington



So the SBC will be looking to add at least one more fb school, and probably 3 to have a title game.

Regardless, it's still a nice compact conference for one that resides in the FBS.

That really isn't that compact when you are the eastern outpost

word is b/c they'll be down to 7 full fbs members w/ 2 move ups, that they'll add NMSU (all sports I believe) for 8 while the newbs transition. Conf. will round out at 10/12

[Screamin_Eagle174]

[ASUG8]

Appalachian State will accept an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference this week, probably on Wednesday, according to a source at ASU

https://twitter.com/AppTrailWSJ/status/ ... 7392915456" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Georgia Southern also has a press conference scheduled for Wednesday and they've requested the marching band's attendance.

Tommy Bowman has always been an ardent follower of App and has always been very fair in his reporting. I hope for his sake he's not wrong on this one since his tweet has started up a firestorm on the FCS and Sunbelt boards.

[CitadelGrad]

This is great news. It means that jellybelly no longer has an excuse to post here. GTFO!!!

[ASUMountaineer]

This is great news. It means that jellybelly no longer has an excuse to post here. GTFO!!!

And El Cid may actually win the conference...pending they can get past Chattanooga.

[Skjellyfetti]

This is great news. It means that jellybelly no longer has an excuse to post here. GTFO!!!

Don't worry. I'll still come troll you on occasion.

[bluehenbillk]

Congrats to both App and GSU. UD needs to be bitch slapped into action as FCS gets more watered down every year.

[GAD_SU]

Congrats ASU & GSU!

[Skjellyfetti]

FCS gets more watered down every year.

Don't let Ursus hear such things. He's thrown a couple temper tantrums on AGS about people saying similar things this offseason.

[89Hen]

Well mother fucker. Sad day in FCS.

But our collective IQ just went up.

[danefan]

Good luck to both schools. Smart move in this environment.

[Skjellyfetti]

But our collective IQ just went up.

More recent Delaware APR: 939
Most recent App State APR: 982

[AZGrizFan]

But our collective IQ just went up.

More recent Delaware APR: 939
Most recent App State APR: 982

Pehaps he was referring to the fans?

[grizzaholic]

Well mother fucker. Sad day in FCS.

But our collective IQ just went up.

You say IQ, I say football games for fans went down.

[CitadelGrad]

Will Appy kill its wrestling program or try to be a wrestling-only member of the SoCon? I hope the SoCon gives them their walking papers.

[SuperHornet]

I'll believe this when I see it. I just can't believe App/GASo would be that stupid....